mr. al- hussayen was in february 2003. the prosecutors learned in march that mr. al-kidd was about to board a plane and go off to saudi arabia for an unspecified length of time. they then acted immediately. they went to the court and said we need this warrant to secure this testimony. that is, to me, essentially what prosecutors do and protected by imbler. to see it any other way is to expose prosecutors to lawsuits for-- >> was mr. al-kidd -- was he released after -- i understand he didn't testify at the trial, and there was an acquittal, and then other charges were dropped. was al-kidd still in custody as a material witness after the trial was over? >> justice ginsburg, he was in -- he was detained for only a period of 16 days total in 2003. is-- >> but he was restrained much longer -- for 15 months. >> he had travel restrictions placed upon him until the trial was over and until the government -- because after the resolution of mr. al-hussayen's case, which was acquittal on some charges and a hung conviction -- a hung -- a hung decision on others, the government

mr. al- hussayen was in february 2003. the prosecutors learned in march that mr. al-kidd was about to board a plane and go off to saudi arabia for an unspecified length of time. they then acted immediately. they went to the court and said we need this warrant to secure this testimony. that is, to me, essentially what prosecutors do and protected by imbler. to see it any other way is to expose prosecutors to lawsuits for - >> was mr. al-kidd -- was he released after -- i understand he didn't testify at the trial, and there was an acquittal, and then other charges were dropped. was al-kidd still in custody as a material witness after the trial was over? >> justice ginsburg, he was in -- he was detained for only a period of 16 days total in 2003. >> but he was restrained much longer -- for 15 months. >> he had travel restrictions placed upon him until the trial was over and until the government -- because after the resolution of mr. al-hussayen's case, which was acquittal on some charges and a hung conviction -- a hung -- a hung decision on others, the government thou

mr. al- hussayen was in february 2003. the prosecutors learned in march that mr. al-kidd was about to board a plane and go off to saudi arabia for an unspecified length of time. they then acted immediately. they went to the court and said we need this warrant to secure this testimony. that is, to me, essentially what prosecutors do and protected by imbler. to see it any other way is to expose prosecutors to lawsuits for - >> was mr. al-kidd -- was he released after -- i understand he didn't testify at the trial, and there was an acquittal, and then other charges were dropped. was al-kidd still in custody as a material witness after the trial was over? >> justice ginsburg, he was in -- he was detained for only a period of 16 days total in 2003. >> but he was restrained much longer -- for 15 months. >> he had travel restrictions placed upon him until the trial was over and until the government -- because after the resolution of mr. al-hussayen's case, which was acquittal on some charges and a hung conviction -- a hung -- a hung decision on others, the government thou